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The present invention relates generally to the field of telecommunications system capacity planning. The present invention more particularly relates to providing broadband capacity tracking and planning information to promote the effective and efficient allocation of capital and resources in the provision a broadband service.
Efficient and effective capacity planning involves matching supply and demand in both time and place, ensuring that adequate capacity is available to meet demand while delaying the expenditure of resources until the last possible moment. Delaying expenditures allows an organization to take advantage of the time value of money as well as taking advantage of the availability of resources, monetary or otherwise, for other needs.
Planning for required future capacity requires analysis of both historical trends and future demand projections. Conventionally, service providers measure current demand over specified periods of time, not only to help gauge future resource requirements, but also to accomplish basic tasks such as billing. For example, a utility company measures the quantity of a service, such as electricity or water that each customer consumes in order to bill the customer at the end of a billing cycle. Additionally, this data is a valuable tool for determining the utilization rate of current resources as well as projecting what resources will be necessary in the future. Projecting the necessary resources for basic services, such as basic residential phone service, is a relatively straightforward process. Most if not all of the customers who can take advantage of the service will do so. Projecting the demand for advanced services is a much more difficult exercise. Only a percentage of the subscribers to a basic service will choose to spend an additional amount for access to an advanced service. The percentage varies based on a variety of factors, including the socio-economic makeup of a geographic area as well as the types advertising and promotions directed to consumers in that geographic area.
Broadband communications service is one of these advanced services. The demand for broadband services, such as digital subscriber line (DSL) service, has risen dramatically in the recent past. According to DSL Prime News the number of DSL subscribers in the United States will double during 2001, reaching over 5.5 million subscribers. In the midst of this explosive growth, telecommunications service providers must make decisions regarding the best time and place in which to invest capital and resources in making DSL service available to ensure they can provide service to new subscribers, and perhaps more importantly, satisfy existing subscribers by providing a robust and reliable service.
Currently, no system exists to adequately track existing DSL subscriber demand and capacity or to project demand in the future. The lack of adequate capacity tracking and planning results in inefficiency in the utilization of capital. Service provider management teams have no effective and efficient means to identify under-capacity and over-capacity situations in a timely fashion, and therefore, management""s critical need for information is unfulfilled.
Conventional capacity planning systems for the provision of broadband services exist. However, these existing systems are reactionary in nature. A current exemplary system collects subscriber and demand data in order to calculate a utilization percentage. When the utilization percentage reaches a preset threshold, the system triggers an alarm or warning message. A service provider may not be able to deploy additional resources quickly enough to satisfy demands on the broadband service. Also, current systems lack the level of detail necessary to effectively and efficiently deploy capital and resources. Forecasting at the organization level has proven much simpler than forecasting at the community or subdivision level, and therefore, planning is done at a macro level. This approach to capacity planning for broadband services requires highly error-prone educated guesswork to determine what equipment to install at the actual physical equipment locations, resulting in additional inefficiencies in capital utilization.
The challenge service providers facing is how to accurately predict exactly when and where to provide additional equipment to ensure continuity of service with minimal interrupts and to ensure minimal lead-time for new installations. A need exists for an effective and efficient broadband capacity management system.
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a system and method for employing telecommunications capacity information. An embodiment of the present invention includes a network connected to a data source connected, which contains data relating to the provision of digital subscriber line service. The data source may be an existing database or text file from a legacy system or may be a network element such as a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM).
The data source includes hierarchical demand and capacity data. The hierarchical attribute defines relationships between various data in the data source. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, a hierarchical attribute describes geographic information about a data item, relating the data to a residential subdivision, a state or a region.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the data source includes an interdisciplinary attribute. The interdisciplinary attribute describes to which vertical division within an organization the data in the data source is associated. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, the department from which data originated is an interdisciplinary attribute of the data.
An embodiment of the present invention also includes a database for storing demand and capacity data and includes a processor for (1) retrieving the data from the data source, (2) storing the data in the database, (3) subsequently extracting the data and (4) generating a report. The processor in an embodiment of the present invention includes multiple computers, including a batch server for retrieving the data and storing it in a database and a web server for receiving requests for data and, in response, generating and transmitting hypertext markup language (HTML) pages in response. The web server performs various tasks in generating the HTML pages. For example, the web server may utilize components to calculate projected data points using linear regression.
Various other embodiments of the present invention create reports in formats other than HTML, including a portable document format file, a spreadsheet and a multidimensional database accessed through an on-line analytical processing interface. An embodiment of the present invention may also provide the capability of filtering the data presented in a report. For example, a web server generates transmits an HTML form containing a series of selection controls, such as drop-down combo boxes, and navigation controls, such as hyperlinks or buttons. In response to activation of a navigation control, an embodiment of the present invention submits the form containing the value of the selection controls to the web server. In response, the web server generates and presents an HTML report.
Another embodiment of the present invention includes an HTML page, containing a series of navigation controls from which a user may select. The navigation controls include an asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) navigation control and several additional navigation controls that activate common application elements such as a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page and a feedback form. Selection of the ADSL navigation control triggers display an ADSL summary display, a trending navigation control, and a variety of reporting options, including an excess capacity report. The ADSL summary page includes general information regarding the provision of ADSL as well as information regarding additional options. Selection of the trending navigation control triggers the display of a trending report parameter form, which in turn includes a navigation control that triggers display of a trending report. An embodiment of the present invention also provides the ability to perform a number of administration functions, including modifying existing database entries and creating new database entries.
Embodiments of the present invention provide numerous advantages over existing solutions, enhancing an organizations ability to deploy capital at the right time in the right place. An embodiment of the present invention merges service availability and capital management into a cohesive view, allowing for just-in-time deployment of capital resources. Just-in-time deployment of capital provides a competitive advantage because it allows an organization to delay outlays of monetary and other resources until necessary. For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, the excess capacity report is an extremely valuable report for the efficient management of capital. The report tests capacity plans and identifies opportunities to delay installation or reduce the configuration size and cost of new equipment.
Because embodiments of the present invention present accurate information regarding subscriber activity in a subdivision, region or a state, embodiments of he present invention have the additional advantage of assisting an organization in making effective decisions to deploy capital at the right place. As a result of the ability to deploy capital in the right place and time, providers can increase revenues, plan and control expenses, reduce lead times and increase continuity of the service, thereby increasing customer loyalty.
An embodiment of the present invention also allows a service provider to make marketing and advertising decisions more effectively. For example, if excess capacity exists in a particular area, the service provider may launch an advertising campaign in order to more fully utilize the existing capacity. An embodiment of the present invention also allows for accurate measurement of the effectiveness of advertising and promotional campaigns. For example, if a promotion is put into effect, such as lowering the price of DSL service, the effect of that promotion can be accurately measured in an embodiment of the present invention as an increase in demand in the targeted geographical area. The service provider is prepared to monitor demand in the area where demand is expected to increase and can add equipment if necessary.
An embodiment of the present invention provides a further advantage by utilizing HTML reports, providing a nearly universally accessible application within any security constraints present in a particular environment. Therefore, multiple departments and levels within an organization can utilize the capacity tracking information to improve the planning for and the actual provision of services.
Further details and advantages of the present invention are set forth below.